Red Bull Racing, the invincible force of Formula One, is enjoying a dream run this year. They secured both championships with five rounds to spare. However, all seems not well in the leadership group as recent rumors suggest tensions are flaring up. The Sergio Perez and Nyck De Vries’ situation has put the team in a bad light.
Thus, the blame game has begun in Red Bull, and apparently, the entire organization stays divided into two groups. One being the supporters of Christian Horner and the other being on senior officer Helmut Marko’s side. But what led to a fallout between the decades-old partners? Let’s unravel the mystery that has shaken up the entire F1 community.
Christian Horner Gathering Support To Oust Helmut Marko From Red Bull!
Helmut Marko, the 80-year-old senior advisor of Red Bull Racing, found himself in a fix after Dietrich Mateschitz’s death last year. He has lost support from the top brass of the hierarchy, which has encouraged team principal Christian Horner to revolt. Apparently, Horner has increased his involvement in the operations of Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri, which is something that has remained under Marko’s control for a long. Moreover, the Brazilian newspaper Globo reported that Horner has been building a political movement to get rid of Marko to take over the leadership of the entire organization’s operations. Having said that, it’s important to note that Red Bull Racing does not officially employ Helmut.
Regardless, his impact on the decision-making of both the race outfits has been immense. This is a direct threat to Christian Horner’s master plan of taking full control of the motorsport body. Not only that, Helmut Marko’s recent xenophobic and distasteful comments towards Sergio Perez have further prompted the team to reconsider Marko’s position in the organization. Horner is most likely to use this to strengthen his revolt as the leadership of the drink-based team is set to meet for a key huddle to contemplate the future of Marko within the team. By the early looks of it, Horner’s case seems strong. He might just succeed in taking down the senior officially and claim the ultimate control of Red Bull Racing for the foreseeable future.
Christian Horner’s Involvement In AlphaTauri Creating A Friction With Helmut Marko
As per the Brazilian newspaper Globo, the rift between Christian Horner and Helmut Marko escalated when the former increased his involvement in the decision-making of Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri. AlphaTauri has long been Marko’s fortress. Thus, Horner’s meddling didn’t sit well with the senior officer. Globo further reported that the Red Bull team principal played an active role in the appointment of CEO Peter Bayer and team principal Laurent Mekies.
Not only that, Christian Horner is reportedly keen on dropping off Yuki Tsunoda from AlphaTauri. However, Marko is against the idea since Yuki brings $10 million to Red Bull from Honda. He believes it could adversely impact the team’s relationship with its engine partners. However, since the Bulls are going to manufacture their own engine in 2026, Horner does not care less about the team’s relationship status with Honda.